1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to image forming technique and, more particularly, to an image forming apparatus such as a copy machine, a printer, a scanner, a facsimile, a composite apparatus, a Multi Function Peripheral, etc., and an information processing method, an information processing program and a recording medium such as an SD card.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, composite apparatuses or Multi Function Peripherals (MFPs) having a copy function or facility, a scanner function or facility and a facsimile function or facility have been marketed. When the composite apparatus or MFP functions as a copying apparatus or a printer, an image is printed on a printing medium such as paper. When the composite apparatus or MFP functions as a copying apparatus or a scanner, an image is read from a document. When the composite apparatus or MFP functions as a facsimile apparatus, an image is set to or received from another equipment via a telephone line.
In the composite apparatus and the MFP, various kinds of information processing are performed according to various programs such as an application or a platform. Various applications are mounted to the composite apparatus and the MFP, such as an application for color copy, an application for monochrome copy, or an application for facsimile.
If the application for color copy can be mounted to either a color copy machine or a monochrome copy machine, it is convenient because an operation screen for monochrome copy by the application for color copy can be used by ether of the color copy machine and the monochrome copy machine. Similarly, if an application of various kinds of function of image forming apparatuses can be mounted to various kinds of image forming apparatuses, it is convenient because the application of various kinds of function of image forming apparatuses can be used by various kinds of image forming apparatuses. In this case, the application must selectively use APIs of different image forming apparatuses for each image forming apparatus. However, generally there are several hundreds kinds of API of image forming apparatuses, and it is difficult for an application to selectively use the APIs.